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PORTAL NEWS: NC State hosting a 6’10 big man with solid footwork, good post moves and great vision

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2 years ago

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NC State will be hosting Dusan Mahorcic, a 6’10 big man from Utah who is down to Arizona State and NC State.

Mohorcic is your classic Euro-big. He’s big, physical, has solid footwork in the post and is a great passer. With the news that Shawn Phillips (6’11 center) has decommitted from NC State, and the transfer of Jaylon Gibson, the Pack needs bodies up front. Mahoricic is certainly a big body at 6’10, 225lbs. He’s a native of Serbia and has spent this past season at Utah, after spending the previous year at Illinois State. Last year he didn’t put up huge numbers, but beggers can’t be choosers.

Mahorcic finish this past season averaging 5.5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 14 minutes per game. If he chooses NC State you can bet he’d be getting around 30 minutes per game, and if he can double his output with his doubling of minutes then you’re looking at a 11 point, 8 rebound big man.

You think that’s a stretch?

Well, look at these highlights and see if you still think so.

He’s certailny physical. He’s got good footwork with lots of up fakes and pivots on the block. He can finish with both hands. He has a decent little jumper and he’s a great passer. The truth is, NC State hasn’t really had a big like this in a long time.

Now, Keatts has seemed to focus recruiting on athletic, shot blockers, but that hasn’t panned out. In fact, Keatts has had his most success with bigs like Yurtseven and Funderburk. Both were guys who could give you some back ot the basket buckets. And he has never had one who had good vision and could pass well out of the post.

This would be a good get for NC State, and if you ask us, this is a guy you want on your roster to pair with Dowuona.

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Rev
Rev
2 years ago

This guy brings in experience to offset Phillips potential. Lost a potential defensive star but gained a Big that vacant catch and score. I’ll take it if we can get him into the fold. This may be Levi’s first recruiting test. We really needed someone besides Ebe and I don’t want Ross having to play center.

And yes, we MUST get a point guard.

And someone who can shoot threes!

1
Dof87
Dof87
2 years ago

We need a bigger body like this to take up space inside. These Euro players are typically pretty good passers as well so we can hopefully keep defenses honest inside and then kick out to shooters. The ability to do that was sorely missed last year, and our skinny bigs got pushed around way too much.

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Papajohn
Papajohn
2 years ago

Going up against Hurley. You’d think we’ve got a shot, certainly an upgrade over Gibson for us. He’s a one year guy, so shouldn’t care that Keatts might not be around.
A player like this needs a good point guard.

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NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

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4 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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NC State does have 1 scholarship available, and could still add a player out of the Transfer Portal. With that being said, the roster for the Men’s Basketball team is pretty much set for the 2024-25 season.

Non-graduates had to enter the Transfer Portal by April 30th, and Graduates had to enter by May 1st. Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell both made public announcements that they were returning, but the closure of entrance to the Portal means that Breon Pass, Ben Middlebrooks, Dennis Parker Jr. and MJ Rice are all set to return next season.

In a world where the Transfer Portal has all but become free agency in College Basketball, with some players switching schools on an annual basis, it’s encouraging that Kevin Keatts not only recruited a Top-10 Transfer Class, but also recruited a majority of the eligible players to stay. Three players that could transfer entered the Portal (I’m not counting Mohamed Diarra in these numbers, who opted to go pro), while 6 opted to continue running with the Wolfpack.

As a result, below is a breakdown of the roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball team heading into 2024-25, realizing the Wolfpack could still add one player (this team is deep).

1 year of Eligibility 

Guard Michael O’Connell
Guard Marcus Hill
Guard Breon Pass
Guard/Forward Jayden Taylor
Forward/Guard Dontrez Styles
Forward Ben Middlebrooks
Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

2 Years of Eligibility

Guard/Forward MJ Rice
Guard Mike James
Guard Jordan Snell (Walk-On)
Guard KJ Keatts (Walk-On)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

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5 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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NC State’s Men’s Basketball team has picked up 4 players from the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the class ranks 10th nationally according to ON3, and 15th nationally according to 247Sports.

ON3

247Sports

NC State’s 2024 4-Man Transfer Class

Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)

Guard/Forward Dontez Styles (Georgetown)

Guard Mike James (Louisville)

Guard Marcus Hill (Bowling Green)

NC State still has a chance to move up in the rankings. East Carolina Power Forward Ezra Ausar just wrapped up an Official Visit to NC State, and things are looking good for the Wolfpack. ON3 ranks Ausar as the #67 overall player in the Portal, and the #15 Power Forward.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

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5 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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NC State Basketball

Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

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5 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael O’Connell (@michaeloc_12)

Today was the final day graduate players could enter the Portal.

This past season, O’Connell averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wolfpack, starting 22 of the 41 games he played in.

O’Connell took over as NC State’s starting Point Guard on January 30th in a win against Miami.

He only scored in double figures in 9 of his 41 games this season, but 6 of those came in postseason play (5 in the ACC Tournament). O’Connell took things to another level in the ACC Tournament, playing aggressive on the offensive end, looking for his shot, and attacking the rim.

NC State played it’s best basketball of the season when O’Connell was running the show. He ranked 3rd in the ACC in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).

Heading into next season, with a lineup filled with new faces, having the calming presence of a veteran leader like O’Connell is reassuring.

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